Michelle Leigh
Michelle Leigh is a three-time Olympic Team Coach, in 1992, 1998, and 2002. She’s coached at 16 World Championships and over 30 Canadian Championships. She’s also coached at over 60(!) international events including 4 European Championships. Michelle was the 1998 Ontario Female Coach of the Year and she’s received the Skate Canada Coaching Award of Excellence. Michelle is also a professional speaker and she’s presented at seminars for over 35 years. She’s also been heavily involved in organizational activities within the sport, serving on a number of important committees and councils.
Michelle is the Director of Competitive Skating at Skate Oakville in Oakville, Ontario (Canada), her home club. She taught for years at the Mariposa School of Skating in Barrie, Ontario and she is probably most well known as one of the primary coaches of World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist Elvis Stojko. She also coached two-time World Bronze Medalist Takeshi Honda and six-time Canadian Champion Jennifer Robinson and more recently, the 2016 Canadian Ladies Champion Alaine Chartrand.
Michelle specializes in Jump Analysis and Progression, Dartfish, IJS, Program Adjustments, Athletic Management, and Mental Training. She has done extensive study and research on creating success and developing the champion mindset. She has also assisted numerous coaches with their careers.
Here’s what Elvis Stojko said about Michelle, “Michelle has the ability to keep things positive no matter what is going on around us. Her energy and attitude is what makes the difference when working with her and she keeps things in perspective. The positive energy she puts into the task is what is seen in the final product.”
Having worked with Michelle for just a few days putting together videos for this website, I agree that she has an amazing positive energy and attitude, not to mention a keen eye and a skill for seeing the big picture. She has a wealth of knowledge and is eager and willing to share it with others.
All iCoachSkating.com subscribers and visitors owe a debt of gratitude for Michelle’s willingness to share her knowledge and insights about skating and coaching.
Most recent videos at the top…
-
Double Axel Lesson (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh gives a double axel lesson. She begins the lesson by having the skater watch a successful double axel example by an elite skater (Carolina Kostner). This provides an opportunity to review characteristics of a good jump and it provides mental imagery for the skater to emulate. Sometimes seeing the […] Continue reading →
-
Creating Ankle Flex in Flip Jumps (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh works with a skater to improve the flip jump take-off with improved ankle flex in the air. (In previous videos, Michelle worked with this skater to get ankle flex on double loop jump and ankle flex on double toe loop.) Michelle begins with a single flip and then a […] Continue reading →
-
Creating Ankle Flex in Toe Loops (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh works with a skater to improve the toe loop take-off and get ankle flex in the air on the double toe loop. (In the previous video, Michelle worked with this skater to get ankle flex on double loop jump.) Michelle begins by having the skater perform a waltz jump […] Continue reading →
-
Creating Ankle Flex in Jump Air Positions (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh shares some exercises to help develop ankle flex in jump air positions. Ankle flex in the axis or landing side is valuable since it usually helps skaters lock out the axis knee, connect and lock the feet together, and activate the rear kinetic chain of muscles (think glutes) for […] Continue reading →
-
How to Jump Higher (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh discusses how to increase jump air time, which is the same as jumping higher. Sufficient jump height is critical in order to have enough air time to finish the desired rotation prior to landing. (See a discussion of minimum air times required for the various jumps here.) The classic […] Continue reading →
-
Jump Tracings – Part 3 (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a video series discussing the tracings left on the ice by the 6 major jumps. By understanding what the tracings should look like, it helps get a clearer picture of proper technique and common errors. In Part 1 Michelle discussed tracings for salchow, loop, toe loop, and flip. […] Continue reading →
-
Jump Tracings – Part 2 (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a video series discussing the tracings left on the ice by the 6 major jumps. By understanding what the tracings should look like, it helps get a clearer picture of proper technique and common errors. In Part 1 Michelle discussed tracings for salchow, loop, toe loop, and flip. […] Continue reading →
-
Jump Tracings – Part 1 (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh begins a video series discussing the tracings left on the ice by the 6 major jumps. By understanding what the tracings should look like, it helps get a clearer picture of proper technique and common errors. In this video, the tracings are discussed for salchow, loop, toe loop, and […] Continue reading →
-
Double Axel Development Class – Part 2 (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a “double axel” class for more advanced skaters who are consistently landing single axels and most if not all of the other double jumps. In the Part 1 Michelle taught take-off details, proper walk-throughs, and exercises for learning to spin fast and continue the rotation as the skater […] Continue reading →
-
Double Axel Development (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh begins a “double axel” class for more advanced skaters who are consistently landing axels and most if not all of the other double jumps. She starts by asking for super fast backspins as a way to get skaters comfortable rotating at the speeds necessary for double axel and triples. […] Continue reading →
-
Beginner Axel Class – Part 5 (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh finishes with her seminar beginner axel class (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4). In this video, Michelle gives the class a “test” which is a summary of the important concepts discussed throughout the class. These points are: 1. Hands go into back pockets on step forward 2. […] Continue reading →
-
Beginner Axel Class – Part 4 (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues with her seminar axel class (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). In this video, Michelle again returns to her “one focus” concept for practicing with one primary focus. The idea is to prevent haphazardly attempting axels without fixing the biggest issues. It is critical to stop mindlessly repeating […] Continue reading →
-
Some Axel Basics
In this very short video, World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh begins an axel class with skaters who are either landing the jump or are very close. The main point of this video is the free leg kick through position. Michelle makes a point of stressing that an h-position is appropriate for salchow but not […] Continue reading →
-
Beginner Axel Class – Part 2 (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues her seminar class for skaters just learning the axel. In Part 1, she introduced the jump with an emphasis on head anchoring and proper take-off mechanics with flow. In this video, Michelle explains that skaters should self-analyze their attempts and focus on just one thing. For example, many […] Continue reading →
-
Beginner Axel Class – Part 1 (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh teaches a seminar class for skaters just learning the axel. She begins the class by focusing on head positioning and anchoring. Many skaters really struggle with turning the head strongly in the direction of rotation before taking off, and this typically causes the jump to lack flow, height, and […] Continue reading →
-
Head Position and Control on Jumps (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh talks about head control on jump take-offs. As she notes, it seems that head anchoring is ideal, where the head remains fixed with respect to the rink and the whole body turns under it as the skater pivots up and into the jump take-off. She says, “It certainly adds […] Continue reading →
-
Importance of Off-Ice Warm-Up and Cool Down (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh discusses the importance and need for setting aside time in a skater’s schedule for a proper off-ice warm-up prior to practice sessions and proper cool downs after practice sessions. Warming up the body and muscles off-the ice is typically more effective and more efficient than warming up on the […] Continue reading →
-
General Thoughts on Off-Ice Training (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh talks about the various aspects of off-ice training, sharing her insights and preferences. Michelle begins by noting, “First of all, I think it’s very, very important that you start off-ice training at a very young age.” It is important that it’s fun, so skaters learn to love exercises that […] Continue reading →
-
Helping Skaters Train Outside Their Comfort Zone (Michelle Leigh)
In this short video, World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh discusses the importance of skaters training in a way that gets them out of their comfort zone. This discussion is primarily in the context of competition preparation, but the concepts can also apply to technical training. Finding ways to add distractions or change routines can […] Continue reading →
-
Some Skaters Need More Supervision (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh talks about a very common problem for both skaters and coaches in figure skating. Some skaters really struggle with effective practice and self-analysis, and this typically causes slow progress due to wasted efforts and repeated corrections. Many skaters don’t take clear ideas away from lessons, and their subsequent practices […] Continue reading →
-
Pandemic Insights for Coaches Interview – Part 3 (Michelle Leigh)
In this video series, iCoachSkating founder Trevor Laak interviews World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh regarding her thoughts and recommendations during the coronavirus lockdown. Michelle works with competitive skaters at many levels, and her ideas and approaches to a variety of issues may help many coaches during this challenging time. Check out all the videos […] Continue reading →
-
Pandemic Insights for Coaches Interview – Part 2 (Michelle Leigh)
In this video series, iCoachSkating founder Trevor Laak interviews World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh regarding her thoughts and recommendations during the coronavirus lockdown. Michelle works with competitive skaters at many levels, and her ideas and approaches to a variety of issues may help many coaches during this challenging time. Check out all the videos […] Continue reading →
-
Pandemic Insights for Coaches Interview – Part 1 (Michelle Leigh)
In this video series, iCoachSkating founder Trevor Laak interviews World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh regarding her thoughts and recommendations during the coronavirus lockdown. Michelle works with competitive skaters at many levels, and her ideas and approaches to a variety of issues may help many coaches during this challenging time. Check out all the videos […] Continue reading →
-
Helping Skaters Move On After Bad Practice or Performance (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh offers insights and suggestions for how coaches can help skaters more quickly process bad skating experiences, from bad practices (or even parts of a practice) to poor competition performances. She notes right at the beginning that progress in skating is often overshadowed by the ups and downs of training […] Continue reading →
-
Jumps – Common Coaching Challenges (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh discusses 3 distinct issues that coaches face when working on jumps with their skaters. The first issue is when skaters simply don’t seem willing to set aside any time off the ice to watch video of successful (elite) skating. Michelle explains that skaters can learn so much from simply […] Continue reading →
-
Jumps – What Not to Compromise On (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh talks about the challenges and decision process she uses when skaters need to make a major technique change for their jumps. As she notes, sometimes major changes are necessary when coaches get a new skater from another coach, or when a coach and skater spend time focusing on other […] Continue reading →
-
Coaching Tips for Skaters with Fear (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh discusses the challenges of helping skaters work through fear issues associated with certain aspects of skating. She mentions the common fears of skating fast, jumping high, falling, and the fear of not succeeding. As she notes, very few skaters will openly admit they are afraid (and many skaters don’t […] Continue reading →
-
Motivating Skaters Reluctant to Work On Specific Skills (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh talks about the very common problem of skaters who avoid working on certain skills that they really need to work on for overall success in their skating. Michelle notes that coaches can really help motivate these skaters to put the effort in by finding a way to make it […] Continue reading →
-
Last Words to a Skater Before Competing (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh offers valuable insights for coaches on how to handle the last moments before a skater takes their starting pose at a competition. She explains that this is one of her favorite coaching moments in skating. Above all, Michelle encourages coaches to plan what they will say well in advance, […] Continue reading →
-
Advice for Handling Pressure Situations (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh shares her thoughts on how to help skaters excel under pressure. First and foremost, Michelle recommends having specific, realistic, and achievable goals that are within the skater’s control (winning a competition is almost never directly within the skater’s control). She recommends starting with career and lifetime goals, and backing […] Continue reading →
-
Advice to Skating Parents (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh offers insights and advice to skating parents. Many coaches wish that skating parents would have minimal involvement in the development of a skater, but as you’ll learn in this video, Michelle wants knowledgeable parents to be actively involved. But she also offers some critical advice, particularly to parents who […] Continue reading →
-
When Is a Skater Ready? (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh talks about the process of determining whether a skater is ready to move on and learn a new jump. This discussion is similar to that of Audrey Weisiger here, and coaches who struggle with this issue should watch both videos. Michelle starts by acknowledging the decision is “very individual” […] Continue reading →
-
Fixing Pike Air Position – Off-Ice Core Strength Drill (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh shows a simple but very effective off-ice drill for helping with weak air positions. Many skaters suffer from a “pike” air position where the body is forward and the hips are pressed back in the air. For this issue, Michelle suggests having the skater lay down on the floor […] Continue reading →
-
Important Jumping Tip: Excessive Tension (Michelle Leigh)
In this short video, World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh talks about one of the most important but commonly-ignored topics for good jumping. Good jumps simply cannot happen if the skater has excessive body tension during the execution of the setup and take-off for a jump. Good jumping requires fluid movements that allow skaters to […] Continue reading →
-
Fixing Simultaneous 2-Foot Take-Off on Toe Loop (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh explains how to fix a 2-foot toe loop take-off. First, she draws a tracing for the toe loop on the ice and explains what’s supposed to happen on a correct toe loop. As she explains, the skating foot should glide back toward the toe pick of the picking foot […] Continue reading →
-
Salchow Theory – Creating Rotational Energy and Height (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh explains one of the most important concepts related to doing good salchows. To create the rotational energy and jump height necessary to do triples and quads, skaters must generate large rotational and vertical forces prior to take-off. And Michelle explains that this is best accomplished by dropping the free […] Continue reading →
-
Loop Jump Tips – Creating Edge Pressure Properly (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh shares some important insights regarding how to properly create edge pressure for a loop jump. As Michelle notes, elite skaters typically do not bend their axis (take-off) leg very much when performing a triple loop. Yet coaches around the world and especially in the USA continue to teach basic […] Continue reading →
-
Drill For Starting Double Axel (Michelle Leigh)
In this figure skating video, World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh is giving a lesson to skater who is just starting to develop the double axel. This short video focuses on one exercise, the “cheated loop.” This exercise is a way for the skater to get used to straightening the landing leg and flexing the […] Continue reading →
-
Triple Flip and Triple Loop Lesson (Michelle Leigh)
In this figure skating video, World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh gives an advanced skater a lesson on the triple flip and triple loop. The skater is clearly an excellent athlete as can be seen from the air time on the triple flip attempts. On the triple flip, Michelle wants the skater to have a […] Continue reading →
-
Tips for Building a Double Flip (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh is working with a male skater on building a double flip from a solid single. This skater has not yet landed the double at the time this video was recorded, and Michelle covers some common issues in the development of a typical double flip. Because this skater has relatively […] Continue reading →
-
Double Salchow Development (Michelle Leigh)
In this figure skating video, World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh is working with a skater to improve a relatively new double salchow. The focus is on control and timing. The skater is using a forward inside three turn entrance and Michelle is concerned he rushes the edge after the turn. She talks about the […] Continue reading →
-
Cleaning Up Single Jumps (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh begins a lesson with a young male skater by reviewing his single jumps. This is a great chance to see what an elite coach like Michelle looks for on single jumps after a skater has learned them and is beginning to work on doubles. On the single salchow Michelle […] Continue reading →
-
Using a Jump Rope to Train for Skating (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a multi-part series on off-ice jumping and training. In Part 1 she focused on some basics and the axel. In Part 2, she discussed the salchow and some drills to improve landings. In Part 3, she addressed issues with the off-ice toe loop, and in Part 4 she covered […] Continue reading →
-
Off-Ice Jumps – Part 5: Strong Air Positions (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a multi-part series on off-ice jumping. In Part 1 she focused on some basics and the axel. In Part 2, she discussed the salchow and some drills to improve landings. In Part 3, she addressed issues with the off-ice toe loop, and in Part 4 she covered loop, flip, […] Continue reading →
-
Toe Loop Theory – Getting Jump Height (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues her explanation of the mechanics of a toe loop. In the first video of this series, she introduced the idea of the edge and the heel take-off with a straight leg, as well as an exercise to help develop the necessary movements and feelings. In the second video, Michelle […] Continue reading →
-
Toe Loop Theory – Shoulders Throughout Take-Off (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues her explanation of the mechanics of a toe loop. In the first video of this series, she introduced the idea of the edge and the heel take-off with a straight leg, as well as an exercise to help develop the necessary movements and feelings. In this video, Michelle addresses […] Continue reading →
-
Off-Ice Jumps – Part 4: Loop, Flip, and Lutz (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a multi-part series on off-ice jumping. In Part 1 she focused on some basics and the axel. In Part 2, she discussed the salchow and some drills to improve landings. In Part 3, she addresses issues with the off-ice toe loop. And in this session, she covers loop, flip, […] Continue reading →
-
Off-Ice Jumps – Part 3: Toe Loops (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a multi-part series on off-ice jumping. In Part 1 she focused on some basics and the axel. In Part 2, she discussed the salchow and some drills to improve landings. In this video, she focuses on the off-ice toe loop. As Michelle explains, it’s essentially impossible to do an […] Continue reading →
-
Off-Ice Jumps – Part 2: Salchow and Landing Tips (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a multi-part series on off-ice jumping. In Part 1 she focused on some basics and the axel. In this video, she discusses the salchow and some drills to improve landings. For the off-ice salchow, Michelle likes the skaters to start by hopping on their take-off foot with the free […] Continue reading →
-
Off-Ice Jumps – Part 1: Basics and Axel (Michelle Leigh)
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh begins a multi-part series on off-ice jumping. A large percentage of elite skaters use off-ice jumps as part of their regular training and warm-up. And top coaches like Michelle often have very valuable insights about how to do it safely and effectively. As with other off-ice jump videos at iCoachSkating […] Continue reading →